REFILE-Europe's media differ over publishing Charlie Hebdo cartoons

COPENHAGEN/LONDON Jan 8 Many European newspapers
republished cartoons from the French satirical weekly Charlie
Hebdo to protest against killings byIslamist militants seen as
an attack on freedom of expression and the continent's tradition
of visual satire.

But most front pages expressed solidarity with the 12
people, journalists and police, killed in Wednesday's attack by
publishing their own cartoons and editorials that veered away
from Charlie Hebdo's more provocative sketches mocking Islam.

The editorial stances highlighted differences over how
publishers respond to the shootings and raised questions over
whether many were already self-censoring for fear of causing
offence or, worse still, triggering an Islamist backlash.

In Denmark - where Jyllands Posten published several
cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammad in 2005 igniting protests
across the Muslim world that killed least 50 - four newspapers
republished cartoons from the French newspaper.

But Jyllands Posten, whose staff have been under police
protection since their cartoon controversy, decided not to
publish the Charie Hebdo cartoons.

In Sweden, where artist Lars Vilks has lived under police
protection since his portrayal of the Prophet Mohammad as a dog
led to death threats, Expressen republished Charlie Hebdo's last
tweet mocking Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

"For many it will be an obvious conclusion to keep a low
profile, cover up and avoid provoking strong emotions," said an
editorial in Denmark's Berlingske that published several of
Charlie Hebdo's cartoons. "But we must not duck, as we then are
going to give in to an unacceptable threat to culture."

The front page of Austria's Salzburger Nachrichten showed a
cartoon which consists of a black space with ink and a fountain
pen in one corner and this hand-written message:

"As a caricaturist I have been of the opinion up to now that
there was no topic that cannot be drawn. I have to admit that
the tragic incident which took place in Paris yesterday taught
me otherwise."

Satire, which often tests the limits of what a society will
accept in the name of free speech, has roots in Western culture
going back to 18th century French playwright Volataire and
beyond that to ancient Greece. Freedom to criticise the Roman
Catholic Church in France was seen as a major victory of the
French Revolution.

But it was the booming growth of the press in the 19th
century that made the political cartoon a weapon in the battle
of public opinion, with magazines such as Punch in Britain and
caricaturists such as Thomas Nast in the United States.

Norwegian poet Haavard Rem urged publication of Charlie
Hebdo cartoons in maintaining part of an important European
tradition.

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